The Fire Time Podcast
Tim Reed
Are you tired of presentations that are only half relevant to your business? Many speakers are not practitioners of their material, simply teachers—not so with The Fire Time Podcast. This podcast is for the hearth industry and by the hearth industry. Host Tim Reed has over a decade of experience in the hearth industry, making conversations with guests relevant and extremely practical. In Season One, Tim speaks with twelve hearth industry leaders and provides content relevant to any position, whether on the retail or manufacturing side. Hearth companies everywhere are lost because the landscape of business has changed dramatically in the last ten years. They are trying hard, but they just don’t know what to do. The Fire Time Podcast equips hearth companies to win by sharing ideas and innovation from the best minds in our industry. This podcast will give you the tools to move the needle in your company and win in the changing landscape. This podcast is the first of its kind—specific to the business that you work in every day and simple enough to teach you what’s needed to succeed. Do not miss out on The Fire Time Podcast, available for Apple and Droid devices or at www.itsfiretime.com/podcast. The simple and repeatable steps provided will empower you to grow the bottom line of your company and inspire the team that you lead. ABOUT: Tim Reed is the Retail Sales Leader at Fireside Home Solutions in the Pacific Northwest where he helps his team members make it so stupidly easy to buy from them that there is no excuse not to. Starting as individual salesperson in an empty warehouse, he has grown Fireside’s Retail division by millions (after cutting his marketing budget by 90%). Tim has been invited all over the country to teach companies how to market effectively to their customers and sell more than ever before. His YouTube videos, sales blog, and “Fire Time Podcast” have become a resource for the industry and are actively helping thousands of people rethink their paradigms so that they can grow their businesses in the changing landscape. Tim learned “just enough to be dangerous” about sales, marketing, web development, and leadership from years of playing guitar in a failing punk band—which he swears has uniquely qualified him for his job today. Now considered one of the most innovative minds and compelling communicators in the industry, Tim uses his platform to serve others, helping them create clear messages that are wildly compelling to their audiences. Tim lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, two children, Olivia and Luke, and his 90 pound Golden Retriever, Walter. He still plays guitar in a failing punk band. CONTACT: tim@itsfiretime.com | www.itsfiretime.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 5, 2019 • 42min
Eli Rosa - How to Build Process from Chaos
Most businesses in our industry are living in a constant state of chaos. Every day they push and push to put out fires, but never think about building processes to grow their company longterm. In this episode, I sat down with Eli Rosa (VP of Inside Operations, Fireside Home Solutions) to talk about how to build process in the midst of chaos. Her journey to Vice President is an uncommon one and she brings some amazing insight into what it takes to run a huge organization. In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why process is the bedrock of growing your business (this is seriously the key to everything)
Where to start if you want to build something bigger than yourself (a lot of companies miss this)
Where to go for council in making the right decision (this isn't the answer that you think)
No one wants to wake up in 15 years to a business they can't sell because everything relies on the owner—process is the answer! This episode will help you learn exactly where to start building a business that will stand the test of time.
Oct 29, 2019 • 52min
Rick Vlahos - Educate Your People
Everyone wants to grow their business from where it’s at now, but many business owners miss the fact that educating their team is the best(and cheapest)way to get there. In this conversation, I sat down with Rick Vlahos (Executive Director | Hearth, Patio & BBQ Education Foundation) to talk about what leaders in our industry can do to educate their team members. In this episode:
Disarm the “if I educate my people they’ll just leave”mentality (this kind of thinking will cripple your company)
Understand why investing in education is critical if you want your team to grow (many companies miss this)
Learn why certifying your installers may become mandatory in the near future (it’s happening all over the country)
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your company by training your team members. Longterm, the people you invest in with education will go to the wall for you, represent your brand and make you a ton of money long before they ever leave you. Show Notes: Sign up for the Education Passport at the HPBExpo this year: https://hpbexpo.com/register/
Oct 22, 2019 • 1h 2min
Tim Rethlake - Show Gratitude (Step 7)
Most companies are so focused on getting to the next sale that they forget about the person who just purchased from them. Don't leave your customers in the dust! To cap off our series on the seven-step sales process, I sat down with Tim Rethlake (Hearth & Home Technologies) to talk about Step 7: Gratitude. In this conversation:
Learn why showing gratitude towards past customers sets you up for future success (this "says" easy, but "does" hard)
Discover some practical ways that you can show gratitude to past customers (these are super practical and don't take a lot of time)
Listen to TR tell a story about gratitude that paid off 10 years later (seriously, this is crazy)
Having a heart of gratitude towards your customers will set you up for success in ways that nothing else will—so start building practices in today. You can build an army of brand ambassadors who are an (almost) free marketing department everywhere they go by being generous and gracious towards them after the purchase. Don't miss out on the HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT that I teased back in Season 2! Free video course: 3 Reasons Your Website is Leaking Money
Oct 15, 2019 • 42min
Adam Cribb - Pursue the Opportunity (Step 6)
Businesses in our industry are losing thousands of customers because they aren't following up on their opportunities. It sounds simple, but this sixth step in the sales process is ignored by almost in the hearth industry (seriously). In today's episode, I sit down with Adam Cribb from Fireside Hearth & Home to talk in detail about how he pursues his opportunities on a day-to-day basis. In this episode:
Learn why no salesperson should ever be afraid of following up with a customer (most businesses miss this completely)
Discover how often you should follow up with a prospect (this is a game changer)
Hear Tim's worst follow-up story ever (and how it still ended up being a win)
This is an episode that's worth getting out a pen and taking notes on... Don't let money continue to slip through the cracks because you aren't pursuing your opportunities. If you own the follow up process you'll find it's an instant lever that you can pull for serious growth!
Oct 8, 2019 • 39min
Louie Falco - Call to Action (Step 5)
Many experienced sales reps trip up in one of the most critical parts of the sales process—Call to Action! Everything in the sales process is leading your customer towards making a decision about your product and it's critical that you don't mess this up. Louie Falco (Owner, Falco's [Spokane, WA] & U.S. Sales Manager, Sherwood Industries) has been a sales leader in the hearth industry for over 30 years and he sat down to talk about what every salesperson needs to understand about calling a customer to action. In this episode:
Learn "Louie's 3 Steps" to call a customer to action (these will win you sales if you use them)
Understand why there needs to be a sense of urgency to buy (most businesses in our industry miss this)
Discover why customer want you to ask for the sale (so many sales people are afraid to do this)
Don't talk yourself out of sales because you keep running the customer through the same features and benefits when they are ready to buy! Rather, understand what you need to clearly and confidently call your customer to action—they'll be thankful that you did!
Oct 1, 2019 • 45min
Bradley Hartmann - Make a Plan (Step 4)
Most customers get confused at some point in the process when they're buying something new and the answer for salespeople is simple: Make a Plan. It sounds too easy to be true, but it's because we are too close to what we do and often forget what it was like before we knew all about our product. In today's episode, Bradley Hartmann (President, Behind Your Back Sales Co.) returns to the podcast to talk about:
Why making a plan that establishes clear next steps for the customer is absolutely critical (and most salespeople miss it)
How win the beginning of every meeting with the C-P-R-Time framework (this will change the way that you start any meeting)
The difference between the "Front Stage" and "Back Stage" sales process (this really helps clarify things for your team and your customer)
Click here for a free PDF download that will teach you things to think about when making a plan, how to use the C-P-R-Time framework, and the surefire way to get a call back from a prospective client. Don't miss this conversation and make sure to check out the Fireplace Track at Bradley's Sales Fundamentals Workshop in Fort Worth Texas from April 14th-15th. I'll be down there to help teach the fireplace track as well to help you take control of your sales and grow like never before. Click here to sign up today.
Sep 24, 2019 • 1h 5min
Robert Schnell - Advise a Solution (Step 3)
One of the most important things you can do in a sales process is tell a customer about the value that you provide—but how can you do that in a way that separates you from everyone else? The truth is that your products might be the answer your customers problems, but they'll never know it if you don't frame them as a solution. In this conversation, Robert Schnell (Principle, Arctic Sales) stops by to talk about:
Why advising solutions will always beat "presenting products" (this is a big deal once you understand it)
How to frame solutions that are specific to the problems that your customer has (if you do this, you'll be amazed at the results)
Why "less is more" when it comes to advising a solution that a customer will remember (it's the different between a flashlight and a laser beam)
This content might be a paradigm shift for your sales team, but the results will speak for themselves. You can take control of your business, connect with customers like never before and win more sales than ever by becoming the advisor for your customers who has solutions that directly solve their problems. This is Step 3 in our seven step sales process and it can’t be ignored. The next 4 episodes are going to build on this to flesh out a sales process that you can use right away to move the needle in your company. The Fire Time Sales Process: Greet the Customer Understand Their Problem Advise a Solution Make a Plan Call to Action Pursue Show Gratitude
Sep 17, 2019 • 50min
Deb Hannig - Understand Their Problem (Step 2)
Most companies miss the most important step in the sales process because they are flying too fast. But the truth is that understanding the customer's problem is the most important thing you can do if you want to have the opportunity to provide a solution. In today's economy, salespeople are being pulled in a million different directions and our customers suffer from it because they simply don't take the time. In this episode: Learn why understanding a customer's problem is more important than any other step in the sales process Understand how this step in the sales process builds trust and credibility like nothing else will Discover the three types of questions that you have to ask a customer understand the problems that they have Don't miss this conversation with Deb Hannig (Hannig Marketing) to learn what a salesperson needs to do if they want to connect with a customer like no one else and win their trust to make a sale. This is Step 2 in our seven step sales process and it can’t be ignored. The next 5 episodes are going to build on this to flesh out a sales process that you can use right away to move the needle in your company. The Fire Time Sales Process: Greet the Customer Understand Their Problem Advise a Solution Make a Plan Call to Action Pursue Show Gratitude
Sep 10, 2019 • 40min
Jeff Hanel - Greet the Customer (Step 1)
If you want an effective sales process it has to start with greeting the customer. Now, most people think this isn't something that needs practice—and they're wrong! The truth is that you are on the playing field as soon as a customer walks into the showroom and you can only make a first impression once. In this conversation, you'll learn:
The two questions you have to ask in the greeting process (this is something that most companies miss)
What the "5 words of death" are and how to avoid them (this will kill the ability to build rapport)
How to use a framework for greeting a customer without becoming a robot (if you practice this, you are going to win any first impression)
It's the first step in our seven step sales process and it can't be ignored. The next 6 episodes are going to build on this to flesh out a sales process that you can use right away to move the needle in your company. The Fire Time Sales Process: Greet the Customer Understand Their Problem Advise a Solution Make a Plan Call to Action Pursue Show Gratitude
Sep 3, 2019 • 29min
7 Steps to Transform Your Sales
Most small businesses don't have a cohesive sales process to organize their sales—and the result is that their results are haphazard at best. In order to be successful, a sales team needs a process to follow, like a playbook, that they can execute over and over again to get the results they want. Now, this isn't micromanagement (far from it), rather, this is you as a leader putting lines on the court so everyone can play the same game. In this episode, learn the seven steps that you need in your sales process: Greeting Understand Their Problem Advise a Solution Make a Plan Call to Action Pursue Show Gratitude If you can master these steps, you're going to be shocked at the results you'll get. Don't settle for a sales team that operates in the chaos of the Wild West, instead, take control of your sales process and win the business that you deserve.
